Visited Smithville Lake This Morning

[APKape]

Well, I took my first drive up to Smithville Lake this morning to see how thing were going. I saw a couple trucks with boats at QT gassing up and a couple at Burton’s Bait. On the drive up I had to turn around on 180th Street because they have it shut down. They are starting to work on that little two lane bridge that was shortened to a one lane bridge finally. I hope we get the two lane back before the season’s in full swing again. One big change I did notice is the new 2009 price. Guys, it’s now $120 for a boat and car year pass, non-senior – ouch!

Looks like the all the docks are back in the water. Except, they held out one at the Little Platte Marina. They are in the final stretch of pulling together a new covered boat dock. It’s a big one. Looks like it’s made to house cabin cruisers. Not sure where they are going to put it or where they are going move it. It’s tied to the shore on the east docks.

The Park’s Department has their Christmas tree crappie beds sitting on the boat ram at Camp Brach. The piles of trees are about 50-75 feet long. It doesn’t look like there will be enough for make many large beds (not sure how they do it). They are going to put the piles in the lake Marsh 21 at 8:00am. They are looking for volunteers to help. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, you can call 816-407-3400. Coffee and donuts will be provided for free as breakfast. As an added bonus, they will put down private crappie beds for the volunteers. They will not publish to the public. I might try it out this year.

Late last year into this year the Corp added new ripraps to counteract the problem of land erosion. I did see one new riprap they added. It’s located on the east side shore next to the dam. It’s almost right in front of the Jerry Litton Visitor Center. Looks like they build it out away from the shore 20-30 feet. I don’t know if they are going to back fill it with dirt or not. The other new ones are supposed to be located at Crows Creek, Camp Branch and Little Platte.

Anyway that’s about it. Looking forward to this season of crappie fishing.

[ShortStorie]

Thanks for the update...Might have to give them a hand with those brushpiles...

[double trouble]

the price of the smithville pass is why we quit fishing smithville. It is not much longer of a drive for us to Truman and the fishing is better. When we started fishing Smithville the pass price was 70 dollars. I now just buy a corp pass for $30 and that lets me lauch at any corp ramp all year long. But the lakes in the KC area can charge what they want because the corp lets them set their own pass prices even though all ofthese lake are corp lakes, We store our boat at Truman and then we dont have to pull it back and forth. We go down and fish for the day sometimes, or sometime we take 2 or three and fish.

[cook]

Nice report.
How did the dam spillway look?Either the website is screwy,or there letting out a ton of water,site said 1270 CFS,which is a lot for that little dam.Looks like it had some wild flucuations the last week or so...?In the past they lowerd the lake to add the rip-rap.

[APKape]

Nice report.
How did the dam spillway look?Either the website is screwy,or there letting out a ton of water,site said 1270 CFS,which is a lot for that little dam.Looks like it had some wild flucuations the last week or so...?In the past they lowerd the lake to add the rip-rap.

There is a lot of water being let out of the spillway. I did meet a couple of guy last night at Wal-Mart while about 50 of us were getting fishing licenses. They said they were going to fish the spillway. I'm not sure how, but I'd like to see what they are going to do.

[cook]

I fish it a lot when its running-might be kinda early in the year-but some monster flatheads show up there.
Had a 50#er last year,but seen even bigger ones pulled out.

[Joedog]

Anyone goin' out tomorrow morning to help drop brush? I'll be out there. Pro'ly wearing a green Cabela's hat. Introduce yerself if you see me.

--J

[love2fish]

I thought smithville had a couple of free boat ramps?? Been a few years since I was there. Any one know?

[CrappieBen]

FREE ramp on 240th st. just out of Plattsburg.

[cook]

Just one ramp-no dock.Coming from W hang a left on J,then a left on a dirt road called springtown...its a mile or 2 before ya hit C hwy.

They are taking out the old 1 lane bridge over the little platte river,allegedly will put an unimproved ramp suitable for jonboats and the like.

There is also a old road that runs into the water somewhere off J,think its called either Short or Long road-no kidding.Lot of duck hunters use it.